It’s an age-old rumour that the Married at First Sight Australia experts aren’t actually present and accounted for during the dinner parties, however, it seems that this season, this is not the case.
During episode 149 of the So Dramatic! podcast AFTERMAF(S) series, former 2021 bride Beck Zemek announced that John Aiken, Alessandra Rampolla and Mel Schilling were nowhere to be found during the infamous soirees.
According to Beck, they were given “key moments and storyline bites” and recorded their viewing sesh at a later date.
“They will actually watch a little TV and react to certain things,” she said. “So, if they need more, I guess more information on something that’s going on in the storyline, they will then sit there and actually put the pieces together.”
However, as discussed in episode 157 of the So Dramatic! podcast, a production insider got in touch to refute Beck’s claims.
“The experts have always been present at every dinner party, including Beck’s season,” they confessed. “The contestants film their piece to camera interviews in the ‘experts watching room’ when they are on a break.”
The source then said this is why “they assume [the experts] are not there as they don’t see them”.
“The experts watch everything in real-time,” the insider added. “They cut to different cameras and they see it all raw.” Oooh, to be in the room where it happens!
A Cast Memeber Recalls Seeing The Experts On Set
In addition to this new info, a current contestant revealed that during filming, the experts were, in fact, sitting in “the next room” during this year’s dinner parties.
“Experts are there live for the dinner parties watching us,” they explained. “We would always see them at the end of the night.”
They added: “When we would be waiting for our cars at three AM, we’d see them walking out too.
“I’m sure they go back and watch and redo things,” they added.
A Current Contestant CONFIRMS That the Experts Are “Guided”
While they did counter Beck’s claims that the experts were watching the dinner parties live, the contestant did confirm what she said about them being the “only actors on the show”.
“They’re definitely guided,” the source dished.
During the AFTERMAF(S) episode, Beck also admitted that John, Alessandra and Mel wore earpieces during filming of the commitment ceremonies.
“When you are on the couch, you can actually be in the moment, like in the heat of a discussion and if something really relevant to the storyline gets said, the experts will actually cut you off,” Beck said.
This is because someone is in their earpieces and told them to! They will then go back and reiterate points or ask them to say something again and explore that.
“It’s only because that’s exactly what they need for the storyline,” she added, before saying: “The experts are the actors in the entire production.
“They’re leading the way,” she said. “They’re saying, what’s right and wrong and they’re like God on the show.”
In fact, the experts are also fed the storylines prior.
“You’d have to know what’s going on with each couple to be able to even sit there on the couch confidently and quiz people,” she said.
Well, case closed. We think…
Want even more goss? Listen to episode 157 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
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